MOSCOW – Russia and Iran have issued a stinging joint rebuke of the United States’ recent military strikes in Venezuela, categorising the operation as a “flagrant violation” of international law and a direct assault on the nation’s sovereign integrity.
The fallout follows a large-scale American military operation on Saturday, which Washington claims resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Moscow, a long-standing ally of the Venezuelan government, waste no time in labelling the intervention an “act of armed aggression.” In a sternly worded communiqué, the Russian Foreign Ministry argued that the justifications provided by the Trump administration were “untenable” and suggested that “ideological hostility” had supplanted diplomatic pragmatism.
“This is deeply concerning and condemnable,” the Russian ministry stated, further demanding immediate transparency regarding the current location and safety of Mr Maduro.
Russian officials warned that the detention of a sitting head of state represents an “unacceptable encroachment on the sovereignty of an independent state.”
In Tehran, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed these sentiments, describing the aerial bombardment and subsequent ground actions as a “textbook example” of illegal aggression.
Iranian officials specifically cited Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, which forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity of any state, as the primary legal basis for their condemnation.
“The US military attack on Venezuela constitutes a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,” the Iranian ministry remarked on Saturday.
Tehran further urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to hold the planners of the operation accountable, stressing that the “belligerent unilateralism” displayed by Washington poses a systemic threat to global peace.
The coordinated response from Moscow and Tehran highlights a deepening geopolitical disagreement. While the US continues to claim that the operation, part of “Operation Southern Spear,” was a necessary law enforcement action against “narco-terrorism,” the Kremlin and the Islamic Republic view it as a dangerous practice of regime change by force.
As Caracas remains under a state of emergency, Russia has reaffirmed its solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in the capital has confirmed that its staff remain safe and continue to operate, despite the widespread reports of explosions at key military installations, including the Fuerte Tiuna complex.
Sources: The Moscow Times, CBS News, Anadolu Agency, Xinhua News
